Throughout history, water has been a versatile and vital resource for the garden. It was the essential element in the earliest gardens of the and Near East. And today water provides settings and opportunities for an exciting combination of plants and architectural ornament. This volume, with specially commissioned photography by Hugh Palmer, illustrates and discusses both grand and modest water gardens to be found throughout the world, including the Islamic masterpieces of Granada and Kashmir and the gardens of Kyoto in Japan. In Europe and America all the principal schools of garden design - Mannerist, Classical and Landscape invite the reader to share their delights. The ingenuity of the Italian garden is captured in stunning views, as are the grand vistas of Versailles, English landscaping, the smaller-scale pleasures of stream and pond gardens, and the finest gardens and designs by Roberto Burle Marx. Details and close-ups are included throughout, as are examples of the variety of water features that have embellished gardens. A section on arrangements to suit modern gardens, and listings of major water gardens worldwide complete the book. "The Water Garden" is not only a work to stimulate the gardener but also a sumptuous tribute to a great tradition which unites some of the most lavish and beautiful garden schemes ever devised. George Plumptre is a writer, joumalist and garden specialist. His many works include "Garden Ornament" (Thames and Hudson, 1989). Hugh Palmer has contributed photographs to numerous books, including "Garden Ornament, Trellis" (1991) and "The Formal Garden" (1992), all from Thames and Hudson.